


Fate and Honor

by lilydahlia



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 07:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4597440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilydahlia/pseuds/lilydahlia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilers:Post DH (pre Epilogue and can easily be Epilogue? What Epilogue?) - Draco decides to restore honor to the Malfoy name by seeking out an old enemy from school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fate and Honor

**Author's Note:**

> This was a big project for me and I want to thank several people for helping with characterization and reading over this fic so I could get it right. I don't usually write m/m fic, but I think this one turned out pretty good too.

It was over and Harry's scar no longer burned his forehead. He stood outside the doors of Hogwarts and breathed in the air around him. They had lost Fred, Remus and Tonks, not to mention others he couldn't think to name at the moment. But now the wizarding world was free of Voldemort and Harry seemed to be alone in his thoughts.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, coming up behind him, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Yeah?" he said, not turning to look at her. He couldn't. Knowing Fred was dead because of him. Because he had to save the world yet again.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her face coming into view in front of him.

"I think I will be," he replied, giving her a slight smile.

***

Draco Malfoy had been home for two weeks and his parents were guarding him zealously. It was as if his mother thought he would break if he left the manor. It wasn't as if he didn't like being doted upon by his mother, but being eighteen, he wanted to live his own life. He had time to think about everything that had happened in the past seven years. It all came down to one person. Harry Potter.

Perhaps it was time to call upon his enemy to claim what was his.

***

Harry sat at the kitchen table at Grimmauld Place. Kreacher placed a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him and poured him a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Master seems down," the house elf commented as he shuffled away to clean the dishes. "Kreacher doesn't like to see master unhappy."

"'M'fine," Harry said, shoveling food into his mouth.

"Master should get out and see his friends," Kreacher said. "Master stays home too much and does nothing."

Harry sighed. He was glad to be home, but it seemed as if something was missing. Ginny, Ron, Hermione and a few others had been over to visit, but Harry had yet to venture out of the house in the two weeks he'd been back. He supposed he should go to Diagon Alley and buy another owl. He cringed at the thought, missing Hedwig more than he cared to admit.

Harry took a sip of his pumpkin juice and stopped as he heard a tap on the high window of the kitchen. There was an eagle owl sitting there, waiting to be let in. Confused as to who would owl him this early in the morning, Harry went to the window and let the owl in. The owl flew onto the counter and sat, waiting for him to remove the parchment. It stood still as a statue as it waited for a reply.

Harry unrolled the parchment, furrowing his brow as he read the flowing script on the page:

_Potter. You have something of mine that I should very much like back.  
Malfoy._

What could Draco Malfoy want with him, he thought. But then he did still have the one thing Malfoy had the right to ask him for. It was his wand after all.

***

Draco paced the length of his bedroom, waiting for Potter's reply. He was quite sure Socrates must have found him by now.

He had already planned his escape from the manor. The secret passages led off to a Floo that hadn't been used in ages. His mission was firmly set in his mind and had been for the past week. He would get his wand back from Harry Potter if it was the last thing he did.

Draco found that he had no desire for another wand. His wand was the only one he wanted. Of course, he could have tried to have another made, but not after they had held Ollivander prisoner in their dungeon. He was only making wands for a select few, now. Of course that didn't include him.

He had felt as if his arm had been lopped off. His wand was more than an extension of his arm, it was more than precious to him. Over the years of use at Hogwarts, they had become one. The wand had chosen him after all. He began pacing again and thought about the duel he and Potter were supposed to have in his first year. Perhaps that was the better way to have his wand returned to him. A duel to win it back. But the die was cast and he could only wait for Potter's reply.

The return owl was short.

_Malfoy. What do you want? Potter._

What did he want? Draco smirked to himself and sat down at his desk, scribbling his curt reply at the bottom of the parchment.

_The item you have in your possession that belongs to me. When and where is up to you. Malfoy._

***

Harry wasn't worried about facing Draco Malfoy again. He didn't even mind giving up Malfoy's wand. What he did mind was meeting him period. Nothing involving Malfoy ever came to a good end. The duel in his first year for one, and then saving him only a few months ago during the final battle.

He ruffled his hair and wondered why he hadn't already given Malfoy his wand back. There was time after the battle, but then everyone was grieving the loss of those who had given their lives in the war. And the Malfoys were gone by the time Harry had realized he had the wand still in his possession.

He supposed it was past time to put things to rest.

The owl returned and Harry smiled at the curtness of the reply. Same old Malfoy.

Harry picked up his quill and scribbled a quick reply. It was time to set things right. Then perhaps he could get on with his life.

_The Leaky Cauldron. One hour._

***

Draco didn't expect Socrates to return so quickly. An hour wasn't much time, but he knew he could manage. He pulled on his cloak and made his way down the hall to his own personal study. His father had entrusted him with the location of the secret passageway when he received his acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

He stopped in front of the bookcase, looking down at the ring with the Malfoy crest that resided on his right middle finger. He pressed the marking down and watched as the bookcase flew open. He made his way along the dark passage as the bookcase door closed behind him. It wasn't such a dangerous thing to do, to meet Harry Potter. But Draco kept thinking back on other times he'd had run-ins with the Boy-Who-Lived. Those times, he had mistakenly let his guard down. He wouldn't ever do that again. He wouldn't let himself be weak in front of Potter.

Draco stopped in front of the fireplace. He knew the it still worked because he'd used it recently to visit Pansy. Her advice, of course was to let it go and commission a new wand from a different wandmaker. She would never understand his attachment to the wand that he'd gotten through everything with.

He took a deep breath and picked up a bit of floo powder out of the pot that hung on the fireplace. He tossed it into the fire without a further thought and yelled, "The Leaky Cauldron!"

***

Harry sat at the bar of the Leaky Cauldron, a glass of Firewhiskey in front of him. He'd not touched it yet, but he thought he might do with a bit of liquid courage. He had managed to get through the bar mostly unnoticed and had taken a seat in the far corner out of sight. He could see both entrances from his spot and looked down at his watch again. He was on time and wondered what was keeping Malfoy.

Draco entered from the Floo, brushing himself off as he walked toward the bar. He could only hope this meeting with Potter would be civil and painless.

"Potter," he said, inclining his head as he took a seat next to him.

"Malfoy," Harry replied, downing his drink in one go.

The tension in between them could've been cut with a knife. It was obvious the two still didn't care for each other's company, but the civility between them was obvious. They were both trying to put the past behind them. Harry reached into his back pocket and extracted Malfoy's wand. He let his fingers linger over it before he handed it to him with a nod.

Draco took it, feeling relieved and whole again now that he'd gotten the one thing he wanted back. Of course he'd have to disinfect it once he got home. He didn't want any lasting imprints of Potter on one of his most prized possessions.

"Look," Harry said, glancing over at Draco. "We don't have a reason to not call a truce between us. I'm not saying we should be mates by any means, but the war is over. Voldemort's dead. The least we could do is get along."

"Get along?" Draco replied, arching a brow. "After all you've done to me over the years?"

Harry sighed and ruffled his hair. "Forgiveness isn't easily given, I know that," he replied. "I just think it's time we decided not to be so standoffish with each other."

Draco couldn't reply. There was nothing really that he could say about forgiveness. He'd never known the action really.

"Forgive me if I don't jump at the chance to make things easier for you, Potter," he replied, clenching his jaw. "But I will be polite in public as it is in my breeding to do so."

With that, he left his chair, giving Harry a nod before he strode to the door to Apparate back to the manor.

Harry didn't expect Malfoy to immediately be warm and fuzzy toward him, but at least the cutting remarks weren't so cutting this time. He didn't even expect a thank you. After all, it was Malfoy's wand and he had every right to it.

Perhaps there was something he could do. Something he could offer up as a truce to let Malfoy see he'd decided to let the past go. It was time to have a meeting with the one person he could think of that might be able to help him.

***

Harry had arranged to meet with the new Headmistress of Hogwarts after the conversation with Malfoy. He felt that Malfoy had somehow come out of the war changed. And it would do well to put in a good word for him for the post of Potions Master.

"Come in Harry, come in," McGonagall said, rising from her desk. The previous headmasters were dozing in their frames as Harry made his way into the office.

"Professor," Harry said giving her a smile. "Or should I say Headmistress now?"

"Minerva would be perfectly acceptable, Harry," she replied, motioning to the chairs in front of the desk. "Please, have a seat. Would you care for some tea or a biscuit?"

"No thank you, professor," he replied, taking a seat. "Er...Minerva. Sorry. I wanted to speak to you about helping out here at Hogwarts. I know you will need several new professors before the new school year. That is if the school will be kept open."

McGonagall studied Harry's expressions as she clasped her hands together. She regarded him from the top of her glasses as Dumbledore had done so many times before.

"Are you saying you'd like to teach, Harry?" she asked, arching a brow.

"No, professor," he replied. "But I do have a recommendation for the Potions Master position."

"Oh?"

"I think Draco Malfoy would make an interesting addition to your staff," he replied. "He was by far Snape's favorite student and I think having the post might do him some good."

"I don't know, Harry," she replied, lowering her hands. "I don't really see why Mr. Malfoy would accept the post. We do need to fill a few positions. The Potions Master is only one of them."

"I insist, professor," he said, leaning forward in his chair. "Malfoy has...I think the war changed him as much as it changed all of us, fighting against Voldemort."

"I will owl him and offer him the post," she replied. "But don't be disappointed if he turns it down. I will be glad to inform you of his reply if you like."

Harry gave a nod. "Yeah, I'd like to know if he accepts." With that, he rose and gave McGonagall a smile. "Thank you for seeing me, Professor. If you need anything, I'd be glad to help out until you can find suitable replacements."

"Thank you, Harry," she replied. "I'll consider that, and owl you if I do."

***

Draco was surprised when he received the owl from Hogwarts. It was different to hold the letter in his hand and know it wasn't a list of books or his grades. He cracked the seal and unfolded the letter.

_Dear Mister Malfoy,_

_We are pleased to offer you the post of Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The board of Ministers has reviewed the recommendation set forward by Harry J. Potter and would like to engage you in this post for the coming school year._

_We await your reply and hope that you are doing well._

_Best regards,  
Minverva M. McGonagall, Headmistress_

Draco closed the letter. He would accept the post in hopes that doing so would help regain a bit of the Malfoy honor his father had always talked about. Maybe then Lucius Malfoy would be proud of his son.


End file.
